Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. A licensed healthcare professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
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What is ITP?
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a low blood platelet count, sometimes referred to as Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, occurs when your body’s immune system destroys its own platelets, in the same way it would destroy harmful invaders such as bacteria. Platelets are important for helping the blood to clot and stop bleeding.
Usually when foreign invaders (pathogens) are detected by the immune system, the body makes antibodies which then coat the bacteria, marking them for destruction. In ITP, the body mistakenly produces antibodies against its own platelets. The immune system has lost some of its ability to distinguish between foreign substances and the body’s own cells. The antibody-coated platelets are destroyed by specialized cells called macrophages, which exist in large numbers in the spleen.
Types of ITP
ITP can be classified as primary or secondary to another disease (e.g. AIDS, Lupus).
ITP can also be classified as acute (<6 - month duration) or chronic (>6 - month duration). Children are much more likely to have the acute form of ITP. In adults, ITP is often chronic.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of ITP are bruising and bleeding, which can include:
- Spontaneous bruising (purpura): purplish areas on skin or mucous membranes
- Petechiae: pinpoint red spots on the skin (typically the legs) that often occur in groups and may look like a rash
- Bleeding that is hard to stop
- Bleeding from gums
- Nosebleeds
- Heavy menstrual bleeding in women (menorrhagia)
- Blood in the urine
- Blood in the stool
Treatments
Your doctor may decide whether or not treatment is necessary, depending upon your symptoms, platelet counts, and other laboratory test results. Patients with chronic ITP may receive different therapies over the course of treatment. No single therapy is right for every patient in all situations.
Children
Initial treatment of children with acute ITP remains a topic of debate among physicians because often the disease resolves without any treatment. Treatment may be necessary to prevent restrictions of physical activity and prevention of excessive bleeding.
Adults
Approximately half of adults presenting to their physicians with symptoms of ITP have platelet counts below 10,000/mm, putting them at risk for excessive bleeding. Therefore, adults generally require treatment at the time of diagnosis.
